William sombbvillb



(No Model.)

W. SOMERVILLE.

JAR.

N0. 345,999. Patented July 20, 1886.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM SOMERVILLE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

JAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 345,999, dated July 20. 1886- Application filed March 29, 1886. Serial No. 197,057. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM SoMnnvrLLn, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of St. Louis. State of Missouri, have made a certain new and useful Improvementin Immersers of Fruit in Jars or Cans, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in the construction and arrangement of immersers used in fruit-jars or cans for preventing the rising of the fruit above the surface of the sirup, and so preserving the fruit from oxida tion and molding, which otherwise occurs.

My invention has for its objects to enable a fruit-immerser to be quickly placed in position inside the cover of thejar', or can, or inside the jar or can itself, apart from the cover, and be removed from the latter at pleasure; to provide a receptacle for any air or gas that may arise from the jar or fruit; to allow of a free circulation of the sirup between the immerser and the neck of the jar or can while adjusting the cover and immerser, and to enable the cover to be screwed down sufficiently to form a perfectly airtight joint with the jar or can, these several features being essential for the effective preservation of the fruit, but hitherto unattained by immersers of ordinary construction.

On the accompanying drawings, Figurel is a sectional view of a fruit-jar fitted with my improved immerser shown in sectional elevation; Fig. 2, an inverted plan of theimmerser; Fig. 3, a similar view ofa modification thereof; and Fig. 4, a modified arrangement of part of Fig. 1, likeletters of reference indicating like parts in all the figures.

(1. represents a fruitjar, and 1) its zinc or other metal cover. 0 is the immerser, the upper rim, (2, of which is formed on its edge with a screw-thread, 6, having a circumferential milling, f, whereby the immerser 0 can be in stantly screwed into its proper position inside the coverb and firmly held therein; or, if preferred I may dispense with the thread 0 and form the periphery of the upper rim, (1, with millingf, as shown in the detached view thereof, Fig. 4, whereby the immerser can be instantly burred into its place in the cover I),

the portions d engaging with the thread of the cap 12. In either case the millingfserves to retain the immerser in the cap, owing to the in creased friction.

I form the top of the immerser 0 with a con cave depression, so as to leave between it and the cover I) a space or cavity, ingress to which is obtained ,from the interior of the jar a through holes or channels h, formed in the upper rim, (1, of theimmerser o. By this means any air remaining in the jar a, or any gas arising from the fruit, can escape into the cavity g. The lower disk or presser, t, of the immerser c is formed on its periphery with corrugations j, which permit of the free passage of the sirup between the disk i and the inside of the jar a, while the cover 6 is being screwed on the neck of the jar a and the immerser c is assuming its proper position.

Between the edge of the mouth of the jar (1/ and the under side of the upper rim, (1, of the immerser c, I leave an annular space, k, which permits of the cover 6 beingscrewed down on the neck of the jar-"a to any desired distance necessary for effecting a perfectly airtight joint between its lower edge and thejar a. or interposed rubber ring Z.

\Vhen secured to the cover I) by the screwthread 0, the immerser 0 may be unscrewed and removed from the cover I) for cleaning the immerser c or removing any dirt that may aecumulate within the cavity 9.

In the modification of my invention (shown by Fig. 3) I dispense with the rim (1, (and consequent space or cavity as above described, and substitute therefor three (more or less) segmental arms, (1 which may be secured at their outer edges to the inside of the cover I) by screwing or burring in a similar manner to that described in Figs. 1, 2, and 4.

I claim as my invention 1. In fruit-immersers, the upper rim, d, formed on its periphery with thread 0, having millingf, in combination with cover 0 of jar or can a, substantially as shown, and for the purpose described.

2. In fruit-innnersers, a disk, 0, having a horizontal upper portion adapted to engage with the inner circumference of the jarcap, a depression or chamber, g, and achannel lead ing into said depression, substantially as and In testimony whereof I have affixed my sigfor the purpose specified. nature, in presence of two witnesses, this 25th 3. In fruit-immersers, the combination of a day of March, 1886. cover, I), jar a, disk 0, channels h,.depression WILLIAM SOMERVILLE. 5 g, and the rim d, arranged to form the space \Vitnesses:

is, substantially as and for the purpose speei- JOSEPH W. ORooKEs,

fied. PAUL BAKEVVELL. 

